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<\/p>\nIn November last year, an email from one of the UK\u2019s most prestigious universities landed in the inbox of a man who does not exist.<\/p>\n
Homer Simpson \u2014 the character known for drinking beer and eating doughnuts \u2014 had been invited to interview at Imperial College London to study an undergraduate degree in earth sciences.<\/p>\n
When he failed to show up, the admissions team chased him again, offering to reschedule. I could not help but laugh. Had the top university for research quality in the UK shortlisted and really followed up with a fictional character?<\/p>\n
It was the culmination of an experiment I had quietly begun two months earlier.<\/p>\n
As a recent graduate, I had seen AI become part of student life. But I wondered whether universities were equipped to spot its use in the one place it is still supposed to be off-limits: the personal statement. So, I decided to put it to the test.<\/p>\n
I created an email address for Homer \u2014 hjsimpson1956@outlook.com, a nod to his year of birth \u2014 and set up a Ucas account. When asked for a home address, I used mine in London. Next came his predicted A-levels \u2014 A*s across the board in chemistry, further maths, geology, maths and physics, plus straight 9s at GCSE, except for french.<\/p>\n
I listed the London Exam Centre as the place he had sat them, which, as it turned out, had permanently closed that same month. \u201cHomer\u201d applied to five universities: Oxford, Imperial, UCL, Nottingham Trent and Oxford Brookes.<\/p>\n
Given his background working at a nuclear power plant, I decided he had to apply for earth sciences \u2014 or geography for Oxford Brookes and Nottingham Trent, since they did not offer it.<\/p>\n
In less than a minute, ChatGPT produced 4,000 characters of carefully crafted waffle, confidently claiming Homer was fascinated by seismic tomography and geodynamics.<\/p>\n
For good measure, it slipped in a reference to an episode from Season 3 of The Simpsons, where Homer eats a doughnut and splatters the filling on the control panel, triggering a nuclear meltdown. I framed it like this: \u201cMy time at the plant also taught me the importance of stability in energy production. I recall an incident involving a control panel that resulted in an unexpected shutdown \u2014 an educational reminder of the delicate balance required in energy management.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acting as his primary referee, I also submitted a reference for him in my role as his tutor. For this, ChatGPT produced a sycophantic response describing Homer as an \u201coutstanding student\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kitty Shepherd-Cross recently graduated from a journalism course at City St George\u2019s, University of London<\/p>\n
BUZZ GARDINER FOR THE TIMES<\/p>\n
I went directly against Ucas\u2019s latest requirement to \u201cdeclare your application hasn\u2019t been copied from an AI software\u201d, copying and pasting directly from ChatGPT into Homer\u2019s personal statement.<\/p>\n
At this stage, I had expected a zero chance of success, as it was not just a ludicrous application \u2014 it was red-card cheating.<\/p>\n
Nottingham Trent did not respond to the application, later saying it \u201crigorously reviews\u201d every application. Oxford and UCL did not progress the application after I failed to provide supporting evidence. In October, Oxford Brookes emailed \u201cHomer\u201d requesting proof of his predicted grades, warning the application would be rejected without it. It was formally declined on November 12, 2024.<\/p>\n
But then came a surprising string of events. In late November, he received an email from the admissions office at Imperial College London \u2014 he had been invited to an interview. When he did not respond, they sent a follow-up twice, offering to reschedule.<\/p>\n
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